1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processor and an image processing method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a printing system including a plurality of image processors connected via a network and capable of communicating with each other, so as to transmit/receive jobs and output the jobs.
2. Description of the Related Art
With a recent dramatic development in a network technique, printers, fax machines, and scanners compatible with a network, or printing apparatuses, such as multifunction peripheral devices having these functions, have become practical. Also, a printing system for performing a printing operation by connecting these printing apparatuses via a network has been proposed.
FIG. 15 illustrates an example of confidential-mode printing and remote copy, which are generally performed using this type of printing system.
In the confidential-mode printing, user authentication is performed before a printing operation. For example, when a job is transmitted in a confidential mode from a host apparatus 141 to a printing apparatus 142, the printing apparatus 142 does not start a printing operation until user authentication (e.g., input of a password) has been successfully done.
In the remote-copy printing, a printing apparatus allows another printing apparatus to perform a printing operation. For example, in the remote-copy printing, when a printing apparatus 144 receives a copy operation, the printing apparatus 144 transmits a job of an image scanned by the printing apparatus 144 (remote-copy job) to a remote printing apparatus 143, and the printing apparatus 143 outputs the image based on the job.
In this type of generalized printing system, the following system and apparatus are known.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-163785 discloses a network image forming system. In this system, when a local apparatus is performing a printing operation and when another copy or print job cannot be performed at once, the system checks the status of other apparatuses. Then, if an apparatus in a standby mode is found, the job is transferred to the apparatus.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-60832 discloses an image processor. In this image processor, in a case where an input job exceeds the ability of a local apparatus or where the local apparatus cannot perform a printing process due to breakdown or the like, a job history of another apparatus is searched for. If an apparatus capable of performing the input job is found, the job is transferred to the apparatus.
In these known arts, however, after input of a job to a printing apparatus has been confirmed, the job cannot be transferred to another apparatus. Therefore, if a printing apparatus in which input of a job has been confirmed is printing many other jobs, the user has to wait until the other jobs have been printed.